


Lemon Trees

by Timeforelfnonsense



Series: For Fools and Lovers Anthology [3]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25026046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Timeforelfnonsense/pseuds/Timeforelfnonsense
Summary: Just some fluffy pre-canon bonding.
Relationships: Apprentice/Julian Devorak
Series: For Fools and Lovers Anthology [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1712197
Kudos: 5





	Lemon Trees

**Author's Note:**

> This is a WIP, thus the odd ending. I really liked this one but I've been feeling too uninspired to finish it properly. So here it is so far.

The sky above was pantied marigold and rose as the sun crept below the horizon. A warm breeze blew throw her hair, carrying the sharp, clean smell of citrus. Vesuvia’s summers were much more tepid than the mild, verdant summers of her youth in the Elderwood Forest. She hadn’t spent a summer with the elves in nearly 4 years yet, she could not help but feel the lush emerald landscaped and gentle rainstorms were synonymous with the season.  
“Are you alright?”  
She jumped at the touch of Julian’s hand on her arm, causing Bonnie to flit from her peach a top Fable’s head to Julian’s. She looked up at him through thick lashes with a melancholy smile as she plucked one of Bonnie’s feathers from her hair.  
“Sorry, I was just lost in thought.” She laced her fingers through his, “Thank you for tagging along with me today.”  
“Happy to help.” He gave her a little nudge with his hip, “What are you going to use the lemons for anyways?”  
“Well, my aunt and her family are going to be caravanning with the Muinntir Òran for the next few months and citrus fruits are always good to keep on hand for seafaring folk. They will keep most of them and sell the rest to any sailors in the places they visit.”  
“Your aunt’s apprentice, Asra… Is he, um, going with them?” He glanced down at his feet hiding his sheepish expression and the red blush forming on his pale cheeks.  
“Are you jealous?!” She let loose a bark of musical laugher, a smile tugging at her lips, “You are jealous aren’t you!”  
Julian scoffed dismissing her taunts with a flippant wave, “No! No. I mean Asra seems great! And you and, we are just friends! I mean friends who sleep together sometimes but I mean like you said that’s just skin deep. So, umm, Nothing to be jealous of!”  
She looked up at him, her golden eyes looking right through him, “You know, you always rub the back of your neck when you are nervous.”  
She rolled her eyes as he pulled his hand away from his neck in response to her accusation. Perhaps it was unfair of her to tease him. He clearly had feelings for her- or at least the version of her he’d fantasized about for the past few years. The version she’d charmed him into thinking she was… He’d handled her distaste for commitment so well. Listened attentively when she explained she would never surrender her freedom to anyone. He promised he was fine with it. Swore up and down that he wasn’t hurt, that he didn’t feel rejected. But, when he thought she wasn’t looking she could see the way his brow furrowed, dove-grey watching her with unmistakable lovesickness. She gave him a blithe smile and brought his ruby cheek to her lips.  
“I’m just teasing you, sailor. Come on give me a boost into this tree.”  
The tension visible ebbed from his frame at the shift of topic. She placed a soft hand on his shoulder as he offered her a leg up. She smiled climbing up into the strong limbs of the lemon tree. She gave each yellow fruit a squeeze, checking it over before placing it into the bag hanging from her waist.  
“Where did a pirate learn to climb trees like that?” Julian called from the ground plucking fruit from the libs below to fill his own satchel.  
“From the wood elves of course.” She called, “I used to spend the summers with my father there.”  
She climbed further into the tree making room for Julian who was clambering up behind her. He smiled gratuitously as he cozied himself in the braches near her.  
“You know, in all my travels I’ve never met a wood elf.”  
She shrugged, returning to her picking, “Not surprising they don’t like cities and aethen don’t often seek them out.”  
“Aethen?” Julian raised a brow to her as he passed up another lemon.  
“Literally, it translates to ‘others’. The closest expression I can think to compare it to is outlander or foreigner.”  
Julian nodded, she could see him taking mental notes, hanging on her every word. A quiet rage bubbled in her chest. He was only curious, many people were. Human’s always romanticized the elves. Viewing them as graceful, otherworldly creatures, often overlooking the fact that the homogenized group of people they called elves was made up a vast number of cultures and ethnicities, many of with holier then tho attitudes and prejudice against not only those ‘not of the people’ but against hose some would consider their kin.  
“Hey,” He reached a hand to her knee, offering her sympathetic smile, “ We don’t have to talk about the elves. I didn’t mean to pry, families can be complicated.” 

,


End file.
